


Oh, The Sour Times

by mrfreddyjones



Series: In a Flash it takes hold of my heart [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2015-10-23
Packaged: 2018-04-27 18:59:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5060242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrfreddyjones/pseuds/mrfreddyjones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I guess we all hate each other, then” Iris offered, looking away.<br/>“I don’t hate you” he said, pained. “I love you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh, The Sour Times

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhat inspired by an episode of Daria.  
> Title from the song Sour Times, by Portishead.

He answered the door in dark blue boxer-briefs and a plain white t-shirt, hair still wet from the shower, the continuous stream of frantic knocking leading Eddie to believe it was an emergency. It sort of was.

“You son of a bitch!” Iris cried out, her fists connecting against his chest, harder than he’d expected from her small frame, and then again, and once more. “How could you? How could you?”

“Iris- Iris stop” he tried to push her away, tried to hold her wrists away from him. He could have, easily, thanks to his police training, but he wouldn’t. Iris wasn’t a criminal, and she wasn’t _wrong_.

“How could _he_?”

She was crying, then, punches replaced by her entire face, pressed hard against him, his arms wrapped around her quickly, holding her up when her legs faltered.

* * *

Barry’s apartment was dark. He’d been sitting in the living-slash-bed-room, the TV turned off, for a while now (maybe hours –it sure _felt_ like hours). His phone sat on the coffee table, where it’d been since he got home, since he’d confessed his crimes to his best friend. Were they still best friends? He hoped they were, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she were done with him.

The ring of his doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts, back into the present. The flashing clock on his (bed)side table reading 3 AM. Within a second he was at the door, ready to handle whatever emergency awaited for him – well, ready for anything _but_ what he found.

Iris was there.

* * *

“Now what?” Iris asked, after almost ten minutes of silence. They were sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Side by side but no longer touching. “You’re dating him? Guess I’ve got to find a new best friend…”

Eddie frowned. They weren’t together, he didn’t know if they ever would be. The last time he’d seen each other, Barry had been wrecked with the guilt. “He probably hates me now.” 

“I guess we all hate each other, then” Iris offered, looking away.

“I don’t hate you” he said, pained. “I love you.”

“Yeah, right” she shook her head.

* * *

He stepped aside, and she made her way inside, straight to the futon Barry called both a sofa and a bed. The place looked just the same, but it felt different. She didn’t want to be there, now. “We broke up.”

Barry nodded, still standing – practically on the other side of the room. The distance felt uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as being close.

* * *

“I’m serious, Iris” Eddie tried to reach for her, but she shrugged his hand away. “I love you.”

“Are you in love  _with_ _my best friend_?” She asked.

“I didn’t mean to.” He offered. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Well, you did a lousy job at both, didn’t you”

* * *

“Do you hate me, now?” Barry asked, voice as small as the first time he told her about the Man in Yellow. Back when she’d been the first person to believe him.

“ _Of course_ I hate you. What the fuck, Barry?!” She shouted, glaring at him, and the speedster winced. “Of _all the guys in the world_ , you decide to go after my boyfriend?!”

“I didn’t mean to” he said, almost a whisper now, eyes filling with tears.

“I’ve been hearing _a lot_ of that, lately”

* * *

“I’m sorry” he said, then, burying his head on his hands.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, and now she wasn’t mad.

She was hurt, and that felt worse.

“I didn’t know how”

Silence fell over them again.

* * *

“Are we still friends?” Barry asked her, choking down a sob.

Iris wasn’t crying – she didn’t have any tears left inside of her. “Yeah, we’re the kind of friends who can’t stand the sight of each other”


End file.
